JAFCO

JAFCO stands for Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options, a South Florida nonprofit founded to care for abused, neglected, and at-risk children as well as those with developmental disabilities. Headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, JAFCO operates the JAFCO Children’s Village, which includes an Emergency Shelter, six Group Homes, and Independent Living services, along with Foster Care, Adoption, and Family Preservation programs.

Beyond residential care, JAFCO runs the Children’s Ability Center, which offers Family Support & Strengthening, Child Enrichment Services, Camp Kehilla, and Respite & Community Engagement Services for children with developmental disabilities. The organization also operates Eagles’ Haven, a wellness center opened in Parkland/Coral Springs following the 2018 school shooting, and FamilyMatters, a JAFCO Support Network offering case management and crisis support services in Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

While JAFCO was created specifically to serve the Jewish community, referrals come from the state, schools, grandparents, rabbis, therapists, teachers, neighbors, and family members, and services extend to children and families beyond the Jewish community as well. JAFCO’s mission centers on the belief that caring for children in the community is a shared responsibility, embodied in its tagline “giving every child a place to belong.”